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Doppelgangers
Doppelgangers Description One of two fae shifter races, Doppelgangers are creatures of magic's mutability. They shift effortlessly from form to form, walking as a ferocious bear one moment, and a polite, handsomely dressed man the next. Masters of blending, changing, and striken with both a propensity for taking what they feel is theirs and a reputation that earns them general distrust, Doppelgangers wander the world searching for meaning. Meaning that some find in their newly formed Fae Court: the Court of Nightmares. The founding of a new court has resulted in a sort of reawakening for this downtrodden race - as they take on their lost responsibilities as guardians and tenders of the Dreamscape. Physical Description In their natural form, Doppelgangers are strange sights indeed. Their skin is a bright, pale alabaster. Their eyes and hair are either black or stark white, and they have short, pointed ears. Although they have strong, lean bodies, Doppelgangers often lack beauty (at least in the common idea of such), having gaunt faces and altogether strange features that sometimes renders them looking more alien than mortal. Many Doppelgangers are incredibly uncomfortable in their natural forms, although there is a growing movement of those who embrace their appearance, resentful of being hunted or judged for their nature. Society Although they once held their own city, Onriosa, with its own culture, Doppelgangers have been a scattered and disparate people for literal Ages, and their ways were lost. Only very recently, when the Court of Nightmares was founded early in the Age of Man, has there been any formal gathering of Doppelgangers. As such, any culture or society they may have to call their own is too young for anything certain to be said of it. Most Doppelgangers are still born into hiding, and assimilate neatly into the culture of their home, although they almost always end up feeling alienated by the need to hide their true nature. Alignment and Religion Doppelgangers tend towards neutrality and evil. Although this is influenced heavily by the culture they grow up in, Doppelgangers have a deep-seated connection to fear, and many take advantage of the superstition and fear that surrounds them. Usually, Doppelgangers will practice the appropriate religion of their homeland, but some who are more interested in their fae nature will take up Mystran practices — were they not already practicing Mystrans. Adventures The call of adventure is a natural one to Doppelgangers. Blending in requires stealing the form of another person, a process which is usually profoundly violating and always discomforting, and many Doppelgangers find themselves forced to abandon small towns or hide in the crowds of larger cities to maintain their disguises. Adventurers, however, are often a motley and accepting group — and a party or adventuring company is the most likely place a Doppelganger can drop their disguise. For this reason, many Doppelgangers adopt their adventuring companions as surrogate families, especially when their strange nature gets them run out of their old homes. Doppelganger adventurers excel as bards, rogues, slayers, and sorcerers. Doppelganger Names Doppelgangers do not have their own dialect of Faesong, and thus have no cultural language from which to draw names from. They typically retain their birth name, inspired by the culture they were raised in. Doppelgangers and the Empire The empire itself has no specific standing on Doppelgangers. Those who mark themselves as agents of the Court of Nightmares are to be respected, just as all court agents, and criminal impersonation is illegal in all three Imperial Kingdoms. Beyond that, Xilosian law says nothing of the shifting fae. However, the cultural perception of Doppelgangers in Xilosia is not dissimilar from that of the Freemen. Fear of trickery — and of legends where shifters steal the faces of men — keep Doppelgangers a generally mistrusted, and sometimes even hated group in most places — Imperial or not. Doppelgangers and the Freemen While Doppelgangers are distrusted in most places, clever and successful Doppelgangers can generally make their way quite nicely in the Wastes, where money speaks louder than any other language. Most will find that if you can make yourself useful - be it to the community or the economy - many Freemen will look past their preconceptions. Like all fae, however, Doppelgangers will find no love and little shelter under the thumb of Stahl, for their magical nature damns them, and their shape-changing ability damns them again. Racial Traits The following are the base racial traits all Doppelgangers receive. Standard Racial Traits *'Ability Scores '''Doppelgangers get +2 bonuses to Strength and Charisma, and a -2 penalty to Constitution. They are direct and forceful creatures, charm and domination are in their very being, but their frail, mutable physiology leaves them weaker than most. *'Type Doppelgangers are Humanoids with the Fae and Shapechanger subtypes. *'''Size Doppelgangers are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. *'Base Speed' Doppelgangers have a base speed of 30 ft. *'Culture' Doppelgangers have the culture that they were raised in, usually that of their Inherited Form's. *'Lifespan '''Doppelgangers' have long lifespans, and achieve adulthood at the same age as their inherited form. Defense Racial Traits *'''Fae Resistances (Su) Fae are immune to sleep effects, and gain a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against enchantment spells and effects. Magical Racial Traits *'Change Shape (Su)' A Doppelganger can assume any of its forms as a standard action. This ability functions as alter self (except it does not modify ability scores) for humanoid forms, and as beast shape II for animal forms. Doppelgangers always assume specific forms when using this ability. Doppelgangers can change gender using this ability, but this this ability disguises any permanent bodily changes (such as scars, loss of limbs, or tattoos). Finally, this ability counts as the druid wild shape ability for the purposes of qualifying for and using the Natural Spell, Powerful Shape, and Wild Speech feats, with the Doppelganger's character level counting as their effective druid level. *'Forms (Su)' A Doppelganger begins play with three forms: their natural form, their inherited form, and a single learned form. **'Natural Form' See Physical Description. **'Inherited Form' This form can never be changed, and must that be one that could be assumed with alter self or beast shape II. It is the logical offspring of the Doppelganger's parents. For instance, a Doppelganger in human form mating with an actual human would produce a Doppelganger with a human inherited form. But, if that Doppelganger were to mate with an elf, it would produce a Doppelganger with an Elfkin inherited form. If both the parents were Doppelgangers, the child inherits any one form that both parents share. **'Learned Forms' As a full-round action, a Doppelganger can steal the form of any animal or humanoid whose form could be assumed with alter self or beast shape II. The creature must be willing, helpless, or pinned for this process to work. At the end of the round, the Doppelganger learns and assumes the new form, which looks exactly the same as the animal or humanoid they stole it from. If the Doppelganger already has a learned form, they may replace their existing learned form with a new one by repeating this process. At 4th level, and every four levels thereafter, the number of forms the Doppelganger can learn is increased by one (two forms at 4th level, three forms at 8th level, etc). A Doppelganger may learn the form of the same creature multiple times. This process is precise enough to create disguises of specific people. **'Special' A Doppelganger may take the Extra Form feat to increase their maximum learned forms by one. Weakness Racial Traits *'Arcane Physiology' Some of a Doppelganger's physiological processes rely on magic. While in a null-magic zone, or a Layden field of 3rd degree or higher, a Doppelganger is sickened. In addition, for every 5 minutes spent in such an area, a Doppelganger must make a Fortitude save (DC 20 plus 1 for each previous check) or take a cumulative -1 penalty to Constitution. The sickened effect and Constitution penalty are lifted after spending 1 minute away from such an area. *'Cold Iron Weakness' Weapons made of cold iron deal 150% damage to Doppelganger, and automatically bypass any damage reduction they may possess. A Doppelganger cannot willingly touch, hold or carry an item made of cold iron, and if forced to do so they are sickened until the item is removed from their person. Finally, a Doppelganger who is forced into a pair of manacles made from cold iron automatically assumes their natural form, and cannot change shape until the manacles are removed. Category:Races Category:Fae Races Category:Humanoid Creatures Category:Fae Creatures Category:Shapechanger Creatures